FALLING pupil numbers in Liverpool schools means nearly #4m less from the government for this year's budget.

FALLING pupil numbers in Liverpool schools means nearly #4m less from the government for this year's budget.

The amount handed over to Liverpool education authority for primary schools is #1.75m less and a #2.13m drop for secondary schools.

Funding arrangements for schools is based on the number of pupils so fewer pupils in schools means less cash from the government.

Councillor Paul Clein, Liverpool's executive member for education, said: "Obviously if you have fewer pupils but the same number of teachers and schools then something has got to give.

"It's going to get worse because the birth rate figures are in continual decline - that has major consequences and the government doesn't particularly recognise this."

In 2001 there were 75,612.5 pupils in Liverpool schools, in 2002 we have 74,992.5 which is a drop of 620 children.

There's been a drop of 23% in the birth rate over the last 10 years in 2001 and this has risen to 27% in 2002.

Cllr Clein said: "This the main reason why schools have closed in the recent past and more are likely to close in the future.

"We recognise just how much for many the school is the focal point of the community and there's no easy way to do it - it's trying to manage as inevitable process as sensitively as possible."

Cllr Joe Anderson, Labour education spokesman agrees that the way school funding is worked out is not the fairest system.

He said: "I'm not totally in favour of the funding formula worked on and local education authorities should be given a bit more flexibility to support schools more.

"We do get additional funding but in dribs and drabs so we can't save these schools.

"For too long we've taught empty sites and we haven't dealt with it properly." In some cases infant and junior schools have been amalgamated to deal with the problem of empty classrooms but some primary schools have been closed.

Cllr Clein said: "School governers have two overriding duties, to balance the school budget and to ensure the national curriculum is taught.

"Once you have less than a certain number of pupils it is very difficult to do either of these things because there's not enough pupils to generate the money to get teachers to deliver the national curriculum."